Nation Ford’s Dave Johnson, foreground, talks with football coach Michael Allen before a recent football game.

Assistant football coach Dave Johnson has been named interim athletic director at Nation Ford High School taking the place of Jaybe Shackleford.

Shackleford resigned Friday, Aug. 19 from his position as athletic director, according to Falcons’ Principal Chris Chandler. Shackleford, who has been athletic director since 2018, is recovering from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident earlier this month in Fort Mill.

Shackleford has been at Nation Ford since the school opened in August 2007. He is scheduled to be back to school sometime this year after he recovers from his injuries. Shackleford has held multiple coaching positions at the school. He has been an assistant basketball coach and head golf coach just to name a few positions before becoming athletic director.

Shackleford recently notified his Nation Ford colleagues of his decision to step down. He sent the following e-mail to the staff:

“My accident has given me time to reflect,” he said. “This reflection has been on the many things that I will have to overcome during my recovery and life itself. After discussing my accident and recovery process with my family, doctors, and Mr. Chandler, I will be stepping away from my role as the Athletic Director at Nation Ford High School. Upon my return in October after recovery, I will return to the classroom as a teacher. My family and I feel this is the best for our family and me to recover from the injuries of my accident fully.

“I have enjoyed my time as the AD at Nation Ford and look forward to being able to watch games from a different perspective. I thank the Falcon Family for all of their support throughout the years and for the support I have felt over the past couple of weeks. To my coaches, I say thank you for being who you are and for what you do. You truly create the atmosphere to make us a Falcon Family. I could never have done any of it without you. Last but not least, as always, Go Falcons.”

Johnson will serve as interim athletic director for the remainder of the academic year, according to Chandler. Johnson came to Nation Ford from Cuthbertson in 2019 and has been helping with football as an assistant ever since. He also teaches at the school. Johnson was head football coach at Cuthbertson High for six years prior to coming to Nation Ford and was at Hopewell High two years before that.

Chandler said it was beneficial to have someone like Johnson already in the school to pick up the athletic director duties.

“We are grateful to Dave (Johnson) for stepping in to help as our Interim AD,” Chandler said. “We were lucky to have someone on staff with Dave’s experience and knowledge who could fill in as athletic director during a busy time in athletics.”

Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep